Weekend Getaways near Howrah

About Howrah

Howrah Bridge: One of the most iconic structures in Kolkata, Howrah Bridge is a unique sight in itself. Also known as Rabindra Setu, it connects Howrah with Kolkata. If you have time on hand, it is advisable to take a ferry from Kolkata to Howrah, which is offered from Launch Ghat. The view of the city from the ferry is absolutely priceless.

After a quick and uneventful flight we began our descent to Dhaka. The views as we flew in were pretty cool, it's an island framed by rivers and agricultural land. From the air it looked to be currently pretty waterlogged.
We disembarked the plane into the sun, the weather was hot and humid again, like India. We squeezed onto a rickety airport bus to take us to the terminal. En-route I noticed one of the ground staff had also dyed his beard the same bright orange as the man on our flight. Curiouser and curiouser, what was this orange beard thing I thought. Some strange fashion statement maybe, the latest fad?
Immigration which was a pretty straightforward process due to us being able to get Visas on arrival. There was just a little hassle as we didn't have any accommodation pre-booked. Bangladesh immigration requires hotel contact details before you granting a visa. A quick google search to find a hotel name and phone number though and we on our way.
Airport Entertainment
A little girl of about three years old entertained us in departures whilst we waited for our next flight. She seemed fascinated by us and wouldn't leave us alone, laughing and chattering away. After we'd walked to our gate, we suddenly realised the little girl had followed us all way across departure lounge. Her dad grabbed her and told her to say bye bye, which she did with a little wave and blew us kisses...cute!
We boarded a little turbo prop plane with about sixty people on it. Across the aisle from us was another man with a flaming orange beard. I was now wondering if it was something cultural and made it my mission to find out what was behind it. I later discovered that around one in five older Muslim men in Bangladesh dye their beards and/ or hair orange with henna. It's to show their devotion to the prophet Mohammed who dyed his beard.
Bags collected, security waved us straight though. In fact security seemed pretty lax, they also waved through the chap in front of us who was holding a 9mm pistol. A little concerning to say the least.
We found domestic departures and Andy went to buy tickets for the next flights to Cox's Bazar in South Bangladesh. I waited with the luggage, swatting at the cloud of mozzies that tormented me.
It was Andy's turn to do the planning for Bangladesh. He'd decided we'd fly straight to Cox's Bazar for five nights, saving Dhaka for the last two. With only a week to spend in Bangladesh, Andy was keen to not do a typical Tanya whistle-stop tour, visiting lots of places with only a night or two in each. We had no idea what to expect of Cox's Bazar, but thought we should give it a look as it has the longest unbroken beach (about 174km) in the world.
Andy returned with a ticket for the wrong return date giving us only three full days there. Well that wouldn't work especially if we were going to have a trip to Saint Martins island too as I hoped. I was most perturbed and may have put my parts on a bit (I blame it on tiredness and hunger). After returning my grumpiness (being together 24/7 was taking it's toll a bit I think), he changed the flights for right date.
Arrival in Cox's Bazar

The last couple of days we found ourselves back in Dhaka, which we pretty much spent holed up in hotels as we felt really unsafe, something I’d never experienced anywhere before even when travelling as a solo female. We treated ourselves to a bit of luxury the last night in The Westin.

After arriving in Bhubaneswar, hire a taxi to Ratnagiri. If you make prior bookings, you can have the hotel arrange a pick-up from the airport. Spend this day resting, or head out for light exploratory walk around the area.

The word ‘Ratnagiri’ literally means ‘a hill adorned with jewels’. Perhaps it was the crowning glory of the Pushphagiri Mahavihara and, the largest of the Buddhist monastic settlement found in this area. ASI excavation under the supervision of D.Mitra unveiled the magnificent monasteries, stupas, temples, and votive stupas from under the earth. The Ratnagiri Mahavihara flourished most from the 5th to the 11th century AD in art, architecture and learning. The votive stupas are eloquent proofs of the fact that more than ten thousand students were under the tutelage of Ratnagiri during this time. A sharp decline occurred 13th century onwards perhaps due to lack of royal patronage and because of Muslim invasions in India. Still, it is believed to have survived till 16th century AD. A small trek uphill from the entrance gate took us to the votive stupas. The amazing stone votives with inscriptions and figures stood in neat rows, the distance between them being exactly the same! It’s a wonder with how much precision and accuracy these were made. It is said, students were supposed to build a votive to symbolize the successful completion of learning.We, the modern erudite people couldn’t even dream of paying such wonderful adulation to our alma-mater.A narrow pathway led us to the main monastery. The green field on one side was resplendent with wildflowers. The existing relics here speak of the magnificence of the monastery. A large stone courtyard lies in the middle with monastic cells all around the porch. The intricate designs of the entablature attest the glory of the Vihara in its heydays. Directly opposite to the entrance towards the rear end of the courtyard, there is a cell housing a huge statue of Lord Buddha in the Bhumisparsha Mudra. Two male figurines are there on either side of the statue with lotuses and chamars (fans) in their hands. Perhaps this served as an altar. Huge heads of Buddha, statues of Tara, Jambhala, and several other sacred Tantric deities are strewn all over the place. You can feel the awe, the excellence, and the wonder of Ratnagiri here.Standing in the middle of the huge courtyard, with the vast blue sky above, it seemed history came alive to us. It gave me a shiver down the spine to think of those days when India was one of the most revered countries of the world. The giant Buddha head besides the entrance looked like as if it was healing us from the core. Those lotus eyes still shine with mercy and love spreading ahimsa. You are bound to feel the magic when you’re in Ratnagiri, the divine essence dominating all devilish spirits around. The lush green freshness will rejuvenate your eyes and mind, the somber serenity will provide you a somnolence. The Tantric Buddhist monks wisely chose these places to attain enlightenment through learning while Mother Nature carefully curved her beauty here to match the soulful illumination. I’ve witnessed the past in glimpses of the present. The opulent architecture, the mesmerizing scenic beauty will be in my mind forever.P.S. There is an air-conditioned museum in Ratnagiri housing over 3000 artifacts that have been excavated from the site is also a must visit.This trip was originally published on Scattered Thoughts.

The 70 km road journey from Cuttack to Ratnagiri made us (me and my sister) a bit tired and, after reaching the resort, we decided to take some rest. But, we just passed into a deep slumber post lunch only to wake up in the evening. The next day, early in the morning, we started our journey for the excavated sites. Taking a cue from the map, we decided to start with the farthest one first, the Lalitgiri.Lalitgiri:“Look within. Be still.Free from fear and attachment,Know the sweet joy of living in the way”

The city of Murshidabad in the Murshidabad district of West Bengal has seen a rich history right from the time of the Mughal Empire. Get a taste of a long gone era when you visit its historical places like the Hazarduari Palace, Nazamat Imambara, Katra and Madina mosques, Jafarganj cemetery and Khush Bagh cemetery which houses the graves of the Nawab Ali Vardi Khan and his mother Siraj ud Daulah. The place has a glorious past is a welcome change from city life.Best things to do: Hazarduari Palace Museum, Katra Masjid, Kathgola Gardens, Motijheel Park, Khosh Bagh, and Nasipur Palace are amongst the top attractions Where to stay: Samriddhi Banquet Garden & Resorts, The Sugarr & Spice RoopkathaHow to reach: You can board a direct state transport bus from Sealdah to Murshidabad or reach here by train. Murshidabad railway station is right in the center of the townDistance from Kolkata: 239kmRead More About Murshidabad West Bengal Tourism Guide.

The capital of Bengal during the Mughal period, Murshidabad stands at a distance of around 230 kilometers from the state's current capital. The best way to get to Murshidabad from Kolkata is by train, which takes around six hours. Murshidabad is best visited between October and March to avoid extreme heat. Finding accommodation is usually not a problem, but as always, make your bookings in advance to be safe rather than sorry!

The food was nothing we have here in Kolkata. Indian 'french' toasts, rice and dal, noodles-this place has everything to offer. But,don't really expect to be sitting at air-conditioned restaurants.. Sitting at a small hut-like food-shack and hearing stories from the locals is what you'll be missing out in the restaurants.

Start your exploration of the culturally-rich state with the Hotwar State Museum in the capital city Ranchi that gives an insight into the lifestyles of the tribes and explore the collection of paintings, carvings, and bow and jewelry in its 10 sections. In the art village of Amadubi, 65 kilometres from Jamshedpur, Pyatkar paintings, cultural dance performances, and local dishes give you a taste of rural Jharkhand.

After good food we left towards our home, Jamshedpur. The road in Jharkhand was pretty bad as most part was either under construction or were very uneven. The humps, bumps and jerks made us realize that we have entered Jharkhand . Also advisable that the route is not safe at late night and should be avoided as far as possible. We too got too late due to the bad road condition and reached Jamshedpur at 12 : 45 pm at night.The scenic beauty all along was beautiful and the most beautiful part for the trip is Andhra Pradesh, esp Rajahmundry that has amazingly beautiful nurseries along the highway. This part was covered on our return trip as while coming it was dark and we couldn't really see the green all along AP. Overall, the farms, the trees, the road, the food (esp at Odisha and AP ), scenery and the diversity of culture that we saw along the highway and places that we halted left us with beautiful memories and amazing feeling. Shared below the photos while returning.

When we reached at Malda it was already 12:30 am. We reached Souma's Aunt's place. Had some dinner , get some sleep for about 2:30 hrs. We had slept only 2-3 hrs in the last 24 hrs and traveled more than 300 km by road that was too in uncomfortable conditions.We boarded on the train from Malda at about 6 o'clock. Not that its the best place I have ever visited , but something was special about the Darjeeling trip. There are a lot of things I have learnt from this trip , most importantly -1. Never delay when you need a trip, no matter whatever it takes.2. Unplanned trips are better, but only for off seasons.3. If you want to go for unplanned trips always make sure of two things that you know about the place , and you are physically fit for any type of situation.4. It is hard to go for a unplanned trip that even in budget. But if you are physically fit enough to stay in any type of room, travel in uncomfortable conditions and not allergic to local foods , you can travel anywhere without planning and within budget too.5. Traveling makes you wiser, happier and more fearless - if you trust this you can travel anywhere no matter the hurdles comes in your way.

Sit back and relax on the rocky beach,watch the spectacular sun rise and take a walk amidst the palm trees. The red crabs , shoreline stretching into the infinity,and the waves would provide you the much needed respite from work. Serve yourself with exotic seafood, fish delicacies and local Bengali cuisine in the form of Pomfret, Rohu, Bhetki, Fried Fish and Tiger prawns.Watch the breathtaking sunrise at the Old Digha sea beach to kick start your weekend.

Digha, a weekend escape every bengali loves to go and loves to lost in the sound of waves. One saturday I with my friends planned to go one of my friend's place at Jaleswar. By evening our plan to enjoy the sea at Digha was made. Few kilometers away from Mohanpur by car we reached Digha. Digha beaches are the oldest ones and quiet favourite place among every bengali. Digha brings you the calmness of the sea in its quiet beaches. When we reached by evening high tide was going on, giving yourself to the serenity we were lost in the sound of waves, the cool breeze and the beautiful red sky. The rising water was too playing with us, everytime we keep our shoes and belongings on the beach and getting busy with sea, few minutes later we found our shoes being floating in the waves and we would again keep them more away to avoid being washed away. The joy it bringing made us forget all our daily worries. The mighty sea had taken all our city commotions. Time was passing with every wave. Sitting on the stones at the beach and seeing the orchestra of waves will make your soul like listening to unheard music of nature. The waves were just like the music player organised in studio, the clashing of waves, one wave repelling back from shore and another coming to the shore. Hours can be spend watching this orchestra of waves.

This sea-side city is located around 200 kilometers away from Kolkata. Being an extremely popular destination, it is generally a good idea to make your bookings in advance. Don't be fooled by the number of hotels you will have the chance to choose from. Most of these will be booked way in advance during the peak season, or a long weekend. Seek out beaches that are less crowded. Try the fried fish that the locals sell. Stock up on sea shells. Follow the trail left behind by crabs. Sip on coconut water like a true tourist while lazing under an umbrella on the beach. There was a time when the average Kolkatan's weekend getaway to the seaside always spelled out Digha. But slowly, with the rise of Mandarmani and Shankarpur- two new sea-side towns, Digha has faded into the background. But it is still worth a visit, and the popularity of new places means that you might just be able to find that peace and quiet that you are looking for on your weekend getaway.

The most popular beach of Bengal. It's very crowded usually but you got to find the right places to be. Digha is now Old digha and new digha. Although very commercialized by now, the charm of eating fried fishes by the beach hasn't ceased to exist for an average bengali guy!

There are two beaches at Digha: the old one and the new one, which is usually known as New Digha. Two days are enough for this place as the place doesn't have much to offer but beaches. The water is choppy and swimming doesn't really look like a good option here as the beaches seem deceptive at times. Although, it can be a good weekend getaway near the beach.

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Howrah Bridge: One of the most iconic structures in Kolkata, Howrah Bridge is a unique sight in itself. Also known as Rabindra Setu, it connects Howrah with Kolkata. If you have time on hand, it is advisable to take a ferry from Kolkata to Howrah, which is offered from Launch Ghat. The view of the city from the ferry is absolutely priceless.

Of course it's a must see place atleast for me!:P Had a HUGE quantity of Mishti doi at a local sweet shop!! Tasted heavenly and refreshing!! :D A custard consistency yogurt which puts the yogurt you've tasted to shame!!